Ruggedized tradesworkers radio

ABSTRACT

A tradesworker&#39;s radio has a weather and impact resistant features to enable a tradesworker to use the radio under adverse working conditions, such as construction or other work sites. Louvered grills covering moisture resistant loudspeakers are angled downward to protect the speakers from direct splash in case the radio is left outdoors in a heavy downpour. A layer of felt-like material is interspersed between the louvered grills and the loudspeaker cones to offer improved moisture resistance. A non-telescoping antenna of the rubber covered spring type material folds neatly into recess when not in use. The controls include waterproof pushbuttons for on/off, volume adjustment, a weather channel, AM/FM selection and tuning. Elastomeric blocks are bonded to the interior of the housing and the blocks have bonded threaded studs, which are used to shock mount the radio circuit board to the inside of the housing. This circuit board is treated with a conformal coating to improve its moisture resistance. The preferred housing material is a layer of rigid plastic, which is impact resistant and the outer covering is a resilient tough elastomer. The radio can be used with an adapter to convert to a power hand tool battery pack to accommodate a variety of different battery packs and adapters. The battery compartment is generous in size and lined with a soft polyurethane material to protect the battery pack from damage.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.10/215,657, filed on Aug. 10, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,788,925, whichis in turn a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/963,356, filedon Sep. 25, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,456,837, which is in turn acontinuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/209,721, filed on Dec. 11,1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,059, which in turn derives priority fromU.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/069,372, filed on Dec. 12,1997.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to durable, rugged radios for tradesworkerin construction and other worksites.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Tradespersons working at construction sites regularly use portableradios for entertainment and to obtain weather reports. However, theseradios lack certain features that would be desirable for such use. Smallradios often lack the power desirable for overcoming ambient noise ofother workers or to carry the sound over long distances outdoors.Although “boom boxes” may have the desired power output, they lack theruggedness and splash proofing that is desirable. Other features, suchas the convenient use of rechargeable batteries, are missing as well.

The prior art relates to some of these shortcomings. U.S. Pat. No.4,006,764 of Yamamoto et al. relates to a protection case that can beused to enclose a tape recorder or radio to protect it from water sprayor dust without seriously impeding sound transmission. U.S. Pat. No.4,709,201 of Schaefer et al. discloses a modular battery pack with anon/off switch and contacts arranged for various modes of operation. U.S.Pat. No. 4,225,970 of Jaramillo et al. relates to a splash proofportable two-way data terminal/radio. It describes the use oftongue-in-groove elastomeric gaskets in the housing assembly as well asair-permeable water resistant material to achieve its results.

Other prior art include U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,592 of Muckelrath, whichdescribes a field remote control radio transmitter/receiver whichincludes a weather resistant enclosure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,830 of Kimdiscloses a radio receiver which integrates a weather channel therein.U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,732 of Mileski and U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,813 of Gammeldescribe field oriented military radio systems. U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,994of Cariou describes a waterproof coating material.

Shock-mounts for mounting delicate objects are described in U.S. Pat.Nos. 4,395,619 and 4,395,619, both of Harigai and U.S. Pat. No.4,586,115 of Zimmerman. Retractable electric cords are disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 3,984,645 of Kresch. Moreover, portable radios are described ingeneral in U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,318 of Forrester.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide a radio with improvedimpact resistance.

It is a further object to provide a radio that has a built-inretractable line cord for operation from an AC supply.

It is yet another object to be able to power the radio with modularbatteries normally used in professional portable power tools.

It is a further object to be able to recharge the batteries with abuilt-in recharger while simultaneously powering the radio from an ACsupply.

It is yet another object to provide a splash proof radio.

It is another object to include a switch-selectable weather band tunedto the National Weather Service.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In keeping with those objects and others which may become apparent, thepresent invention includes a durable portable radio for tradesworkerswith a weather and impact resistant enclosure having an exterior surfaceand an interior space. The enclosure houses a radio receiver forreceiving radio signals and generating electronic audio output signalsresponsive thereto.

The enclosure of the radio is preferably made of a shock and waterresistant solid elastomer, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styene (ABS).The exterior surface of the radio enclosure has a plurality of planarsurfaces, wherein a foldable antenna is insertable within a recessextending below one planar surface of the plurality of surfaces.

A handle is formed from a slot extending through a pair of oppositeplanar surfaces of the radio, and a ventilation opening extends from theinterior space of said radio.

The weather and impact resistant enclosure includes one or more downwardangled louvered grills covering one or more moisture resistantloudspeakers.

The weather and impact resistant enclosure includes a moisture resistantsound transmitter insulating layer between the louvered grill and theloudspeaker.

A plurality of waterproof push buttons control on/off control, volumeadjustment, AM/FM section an optional weather channel and frequencytuning.

To prevent moisture buildup, the weather and impact resistant enclosureincludes a hydrophobic air permeable therein.

The radio is powered by either a first power source including anelectrical cord engageable with an electrical outlet, or a second powersource including an adapter engageable with a secondary direct currentpower source, such as a tradesworker's hand tool battery pack.

The first power source includes a retractable line cord, which isretractable within a subhousing enclosure within the radio.

The radio receiver is shock mounted to an interior wall of the weatherand impact resistant enclosure by a plurality of elastomeric blocksbonded to the interior wall of the weather and impact resistant housingenclosure. The radio receiver itself is preferably coated with amoisture resistant conformed coating, such as acrylic or paralyene.

One or more watertight formed-in-place gaskets seal openings within theweather and impact resistant enclosure.

The alternate DC power source may include a battery pack having avoltage of between about 9.6 to about 18 volts, preferably about 12volts.

The secondary DC power source may optionally include a combination powersupply and battery charger supplied with 115 VAC, which supplies about13.6 volts through a diode and a switch to the radio receiver. A buttoncauses the power supply to supply voltage through the diode, and thediode feeds current from the power supply to the radio receiver.

Alternately, a plurality of diodes may act as an automatic steering andisolation network to supply either AC supplied current, battery power orsimultaneous power and battery charging from AC power.

An optional variable voltage feature permits use of battery packs loweror higher than 12 volts to be used by the radio. The variable voltagefeature includes a socket having a plurality of contacts mating with anadapter, matching predetermined requirements of a DC source batterypack, and a double pole single throw on/off switch controlling a DC/DCpower source converter for supplying power to said radio.

As a result, the radio provides a tradesworker with a rugged, durableradio to provide audio entertainment and news under adverse workingconditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention can best be described in conjunction with thefollowing drawings, in which;

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tradesman's radio of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a view of the rear panel of the radio as in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a back view of the radio as in FIG. 1 with the rear panelremoved;

FIG. 4 is a cross section of the housing material of the radio as inFIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a power socket, adapter and modularbattery of the radio as in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of the radio as in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic of an alternate embodiment of the radio of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows the tradesman's radio 1. Housing 13 is a molded plasticstructure, although alternate rugged materials such as aircraft aluminumcan be used. Stainless steel louvered grills 11 cover the moistureresistant loudspeakers. Louvered grills 11 are angled downward toprotect the speakers from direct splash in case radio 1 is left outdoorsin a heavy downpour.

A layer of felt-like material such as described in Jaramillo et al. U.S.Pat. No. 4,225,970 can be interspersed between the louvered grills 11and the loudspeaker cones to offer improved moisture resistance. Anexample of such material which allows good sound transmission whileblocking moisture is known as NB-25, manufactured by Nu-Way SpeakerProducts, Inc.

Non-telescoping antenna 2 is of the rubber covered spring type material;it folds neatly into recess 3 when not in use. The controls includewaterproof pushbuttons for on/off 3, volume adjustment 4 & 5, weatherchannel 6, AM/FM selection 7 and tuning 9 & 10. The digital tuningdisplay 8 is either a self-illuminating vacuum fluorescent display or anLCD backlighted by an electro-luminescent back light panel. Both ofthese technologies are common in automotive radio applications. Sidedoor 12 with piano hinge 15 and slide latch 14 provide access to theretractable cord. A similar door (not shown) on the other side providesaccess to the battery compartment. Both doors are sealed watertight withappropriate gaskets.

FIG. 2 shows back panel 20 of radio 1. Back panel 20 is screwed tohousing 13 with screws 26. Slot 24 is a hand recess for carrying radio1. Small stainless steel louver 25 is a vent to prevent moisture buildupwithin radio housing 13. Louver 25 covers an opening in cover 20 thathas a layer of hydrophobic air-permeable material such as Tyvek made bythe DuPont Company. Other such materials of different composition areoften used in medical applications; these may be used here as well.

Waterproof button 23 turns on the battery charger; indicator 22 lightsup during charging operations. Both of these are accessible throughopening 21.

FIG. 3 shows the interior of housing 13 when back panel 20 is removed.Retractable line cord housing 32 is at the left. Battery compartment 31is at the right atop charger housing 30. Molded recess 35 communicateswith the hand hold slot in back cover 20.

To prevent damage to radio 1, a plurality of elastomeric blocks 34, suchas four, are bonded to the interior of housing 13. Blocks 34 have bondedthreaded studs which are used to shock mount radio circuit board 33.Circuit board 33 is treated with a conformal coating such as acrylic orparalyene to improve its moisture resistance.

All removable elements that penetrate or mount to housing 13 or backpanel 20 are sealed watertight with appropriate gaskets or sealant.“Formed-in-place” gaskets 36 are shown around the back edge of housing13 to seal cover 20. Another such gasket 37 is shown on the surface ofcharger housing 30 to seal opening 21 in back cover 20.

The preferred housing material is a layer of ABS (acrylonitrilebutadiene styrene) covered by a layer of polyurethane of approximately50 durometers as a superbly impact resistant outer material. FIG. 4shows this combination in cross section where 41 is the layer of ABS and40 is the layer of polyurethane. Other combinations are also applicableas long as the rigid plastic is quite impact resistant and the outercovering is a resilient tough elastomer.

Modern battery operated professional power tools use battery packsranging from 9.6 to 18 volts. By selecting a 12 volt battery pack forthe radio 1, an automotive AM/FM radio circuit board and display(augmented with a weather receiver) can be used with littlemodification. These come with powerful audio amplifier output stages anddigital lighted displays. It is desirable to use a battery pack that isalso used in other tools owned by the tradesman, or is at least the samebrand. However, battery packs from different manufacturers, even of thesame voltage ratings, have different contact configurations. Forexample, the Porter Cable 8500 battery pack is different from the DeWaltDW9071 even though both have similar ratings. For this purpose, FIG. 5shows the arrangement using a standard socket 45 attached to the radio1, with a replaceable adapter 46 which mates properly with both socket45 at one end and a particular 12 volt battery pack 48 with its contacts49. A variety of these adapters 46 are available for use.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic block diagram of the electrical system. Acombination power supply and battery charger 30 is supplied with 115 VACvia plug 51 and retractable cord 50. It supplies approximately 13.6volts through silicon diode 56 to the radio electronics circuit board 33through on/off switch 3. When button 23 is engaged, appropriate chargevoltage is supplied to battery pack 48 through diode 55. Diode 54 feedscurrent from battery 48 to circuit 33 in the event that module 30 is notplugged into an outlet. The three diodes (54,55 and 56) act as anautomatic steering and isolation network to supply AC supplied currentto operate radio 1, battery power to the radio 1, or to simultaneouslypower and charge the batteries from AC. In all cases, a nominal 12 volts(i.e. 12 to 13.2 volts), is supplied to radio circuit board 33, whichpowers loudspeakers 52 and 53.

In an alternate embodiment, additional circuitry is provided to permitthe use of battery packs lower or higher than 12 volts to be used inradio 1. In this embodiment, socket 45 is replaced with socket 70 whichnow has six contacts mating with adapter 61, which match therequirements of a particular battery pack 60. The on/off switch is nowupgraded to a double pole single throw variety for controlling outputDC/DC converter 68 for battery operation of radio 1. This extra pair ofcontacts eliminate the “standby” losses of converter 68 when radio 1 isturned off.

Charging DC/DC converter 69 is selected via relay 70 when the charger isturned on. Although electromagnetic relay 70 is shown, a solid staterelay can be used instead. If battery pack 60 has a voltage ratinghigher than 12 volts (e.g. 18 volts), the output converter 68 is a stepdown type reducing the battery voltage to a nominal 12 volts whilecharge converter 69 is a step up converting a nominal 12 volts from thecharger to a nominal 18 volts at the battery. If the battery voltagewere lower than 12 volts (e.g. 9.6 volts), the output converter 68 is astep up type while the charging converter 69 is a step down type. Diodes56 and 67 are used for power steering while diodes 66 and 65 are usedfor DC/DC converter isolation.

To accommodate a variety of different battery packs and adapters, thebattery compartment is generously oversize and lined with a softpolyurethane material to protect the battery pack from damage.

It is further known that other modifications may be made to the ruggedtradesworker's radio of the present invention, without departing fromthe scope of the invention, as noted in the appended claims.

1. An apparatus comprising: a housing; a charger disposed within thehousing; a receptacle in the charger; a battery pack, detachablyconnectable to a power tool, mounted in the receptacle; an audio circuitdisposed within the housing for producing an audio signal comprisingaudio unrelated to the charger; a first electrical circuit for chargingthe battery pack and for powering the audio circuit; and a cableconnector for connecting the first electrical circuit to an AC powersource.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus furthercomprising a second electrical circuit connectable to the battery packfor powering the audio circuit when the connector is disconnected fromthe AC power source.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the audiocircuit is a radio circuit.
 4. An apparatus comprising: a housing; acharger disposed within the housing for charging a power tool batterypack detachably connectable to a power tool; an audio circuit disposedwithin the housing for producing an audio signal comprising audiounrelated to the charger; a power supply circuit disposed within thehousing for providing power to at least one of the charger and the audiocircuit; and a cable connector for connecting the power supply circuitto an AC power source.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprisingan electrical circuit connectable to the battery pack for powering theaudio circuit when the connector is disconnected from the AC powersource.
 6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the audio circuit is aradio circuit.
 7. A method for charging a power tool battery packcomprising: providing an audio equipment component having a housing, apower supply disposed within the housing, a charger disposed within thehousing, an audio circuit disposed within the housing for producing anaudio signal comprising audio unrelated to the charger, the audiocircuit being connected to the power supply; connecting the power supplyto an AC power source via a cable; connecting the charger to the powersupply; connecting the battery pack to the charger; providing power tothe battery pack; and disconnecting the battery pack from the charger.8. The method of claim 7, further comprising inserting the battery packinto a power tool.
 9. The method of claim 7, further comprisingproviding power to the audio circuit while providing power to thebattery pack.
 10. The method of claim 7, further comprising manuallyswitching the power supply to provide power to the audio circuit fromthe battery pack.
 11. The method of claim 7, wherein the audio circuitis a radio circuit.
 12. An apparatus comprising: a housing; an audiocircuit for producing an audio signal disposed in the housing; a chargerdisposed in the housing; a receptacle in the charger; a battery packdetachably connectable in a power tool mounted in the receptacle; afirst electrical circuit in the charger for charging the battery packand for powering the audio circuit; and a cable connector for connectingthe first electrical circuit to an AC power source.
 13. The apparatus ofclaim 12 wherein the apparatus further comprising a second electricalcircuit connectable to the battery pack for powering the audio circuitwhen the connector is disconnected from the AC power source.
 14. Theapparatus of claim 12, wherein the audio circuit is a radio circuit. 15.A method for charging a power tool battery pack comprising: providing anaudio equipment component having a power supply, a circuit for producingan audio signal connected to the power supply and a charger connected tothe power supply; disposing the battery pack in the charger; connectingthe power supply to an AC power source via a cable; providing power tothe battery pack; and removing the battery pack from the charger. 16.The method of claim 15, further comprising inserting the battery packinto a power tool.
 17. The method of claim 15, further comprisingproviding power to the audio signal circuit while providing power to thebattery pack.
 18. The method of claim 15, further comprising manuallyswitching the power supply to provide power to the audio signal circuitfrom the battery pack.
 19. An apparatus comprising: a chargerelectrically connectable to an AC power source; a battery pack,detachably connectable to a power tool, connectable to the charger; andan audio circuit electrically connected to at least one of the batterypack and the charger for producing an audio signal comprising audiounrelated to the charger, the audio circuit being powerable by at leastone of the battery pack and the AC power source.
 20. The apparatus ofclaim 19 further comprising a housing for enclosing the audio circuit.21. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising a housing for enclosingthe charger.
 22. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a powersupply circuit electrically connecting the audio circuit to the AC powersource.
 23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the audio circuit is aradio circuit.